In vehicles equipped with air brakes, a driver must use caution in exiting the vehicle to insure that the parking brake of the vehicle is set when the driver exits the cab. Such safety precautions are required in order to prevent rollaway accidents.
Related utility patents known in the art include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 8,602,506, issued to Sittnick on Dec. 10, 2013, discloses an air brake locking device and system.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,849,522, issued to Mendenhall et al. on Sep. 30, 2014, discloses a signal based safety system for a construction zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,909, issued to Bevins et al. on Jan. 13, 1998, discloses a vehicle safety automatic parking apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,352, issued to Smale on Apr. 29, 1997, discloses an ignition-controlled parking brake interlock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,319, issued to Fontaine on Feb. 25, 1986, discloses an automatic vehicle braking system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,161, issued to Maslonka et al. on Nov. 27, 2001, discloses an apparatus and methods for automatic engagement and locking of a vehicle air parking brake.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,300,118, issued to Hoover et al. on Nov. 27, 2007, discloses an electronic park brake valve system for air brake vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,795, issued to Brooks on Jul. 9, 1996, discloses a brake safety system for vehicles with seat and door control.
Related utility patent application publications known in the art include the following:
U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0011610, filed by Witzler et al. and published on Jan. 22, 2004, discloses an air brake locking device and system.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0221922, filed by Callow and published on Dec. 4, 2003, discloses an automatic brake actuation system and method for vehicles.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2009/0314590, filed by Dagh et al. and published on Dec. 24, 2009, discloses a system for automatically actuating the parking brake on a vehicle.
Related foreign patents known in the art include the following:
JP Patent No. JPH1095319, issued to Fujitsu Ten Ltd. on Apr. 14, 1998, discloses a vehicular brake.
The foregoing patent and other information reflect the state of the art of which the inventor is aware and are tendered with a view toward discharging the inventor's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be pertinent to the patentability of the technology described herein. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing patent and other information do not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventor's claimed invention.